Today Res Ipsa was targeted for a second time in a cyber attack to prevent access to the site. While access for some was restored by WordPress technical support, I could not post or even gain access to the site for much of the day. WordPress confirmed that this was an intentional attack to freeze the site and my ability to post. We do not know when a third attack will occur.
What was particularly sad is that, when I disclosed this criminal act on Twitter, some on social media and even this blog celebrated or condoned the hack because they disagree with my viewpoints.
— Sally (@yoopergirl737) August 17, 2021
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rightnotright
@rightnotright1
Replying to
You’re FOS anyway. No one cares
I don’t condone cyber attacks. But that old saying, “It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy” comes to mind. One suspects that Turley’s stooge smeared some Bernie Bro who happens to be a cyber geek. The Lord has a way of connecting equally obnoxious types. Turley has only himself to blame.
For some, it does not matter if opposing viewpoints are censored through Big Tech or criminal acts. When people shift their focus from responding to others to silencing others, the appetite for greater censorship becomes insatiable. Even criminal acts are viewed as justified as a means of “winning” in our age of rage. It is the slippery slope of censorship.
One reason that such attacks occur is that there is a sense of impunity. I can see why. We reached out to the FBI and state authorities. I realize that they have far more important cases than the fate of an academic blog. (It did prevent my torts students from reading about a really interesting funeral home lawsuit that will have to wait until tomorrow). After all, there is little real deterrence of ransomware attacks. It is little surprise that people expect little response for shutting down a site without a demand for ransom. However, if WordPress is correct that this was an intentional and targeted attack, the motive would appear an effort to silence political speech through criminal actions. Many other sites have been hacked or attacked through the years. Until such culprits expect a response from law enforcement, there is little hope deterrence.
There is a concern that this simply does not register as a crime worth investigating. Ironically, if I reported that someone stole my bike, I would have an immediate response. However, if I report that someone stole my ability to post (and to speak), there is little recourse. I view my speech rights as far more valuable than my material possessions, but the protection of such rights seems to be shrinking by the day. I truly understand that there are more important cyber crimes but these felons clearly know that as well.
For those responsible for these attacks I will only say that it will not deter me if it was due to the content of my postings. You may be able to continue such criminal acts without fear of detection or prosecution, including targeting this site. However, history has shown that silencing a site or even a person achieves little in changing minds. When this site was shutdown, it did not change minds. It did not stop the debate. I recognize that such crimes bring a type of base enjoyment. It is the same pleasure that comes from pyromania and other destructive pleasures. However, you can no more shutdown an idea than you can burn it down.
Shakespeare once wrote that “in time we hate that which we often fear.” What this person (and many others) fear is the sound of opposing viewpoints and that fear fuels the hate that characterizes so much in our politics today. You have become addicted to rage and your addiction that led to crime. However, the saddest part is that, like most addicts, you have no notion of how little you have achieved and how much you have sacrificed.
It was just a matter of time. We have too many people using the right to free speech to shutdown others’ right to free speech. We know where it is coming from. It is coming from the same people who cheered when social media banned negative stories of the Bidens, those who pushed a lie about “collusion” and those who say they will punch a “Nazi,” while using violence in the streets for days on end. It comes from those that call their political opponents racists but think black Americans are incapable of getting an ID card on their own, and want drive thru voting because they think :lazy,” should be a protected class…
Professor Turley,
“For those responsible for these attacks I will only say that it will not deter me if it was due to the content of my postings.”
If so, it just reinforces that they lack a strong counter-argument.
“When this site was shutdown, it did not change minds. It did not stop the debate.”
It increased it.
“you can no more shutdown an idea than you can burn it down.”
Well said.
“Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” ~Victor Hugo
Rose, the ‘ideas’ on these threads are mostly insane conspiracies based on YouTube videos. If that’s your idea of deep thoughts you need to get out more often.
The ideas I am referring to have been with us a long time. Their ‘why’ had dimmed. Their light is once again being breathed brighter.
The dichotomies and juxtapositions brought into sharp relief by the actions and inactions of the media, political leaders, schools, trolls, and hackers like the one who hit the Professor or the ones who hit the pipeline force conversation towards our most cherished beliefs and those things tangible and intangible that undergird or are the bedrock of our society.
At risk of mixing my metaphors, it seems to me that many of those ideas are like cherished family silver, ignored too long in storage, tarnished with disuse and neglect, that are now being brought out, polished to a high gloss, to be used regularly with pleasure once again.
Obama said: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f*** things up’
***
Several of us here knew his potential. But I think most of us gravely underestimated the ability of his handlers to f–things up.
Law Professor, Glenn Reynolds, has a good article calling for the immediate firing of the of halfwits.
As I did a couple days ago he invoked the memory of Admiral Byng, but he stopped short of my recommendation that they have a stripe painted down their backs and be drummed out of the Pentagon to the tap of the rogue’s march.
https://nypost.com/2021/08/18/fire-military-and-intelligence-bigs-who-bungled-afghanistan-now
None of them is fit to clean the boots of any man who waded ashore at Normandy or risked his life in Afghanistan.
How can we expect real soldiers to follow such debased creatures?
Fire them! Fire them all!
Written by this guy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Reynolds
But do you disagree with his article?
Not only Fired they need to Court Martialed & appropriately punished for their Insurrection/Treason.
Sounds like Turley is over too many targets.
Won’t be long before b!+<hing on comment sections fundementally transforms into blood and carnage in the streets as lefties continue to use censorship to close all avenues of redress.
As long as you’re preaching Taliban on Google, Youtube, Apple, Faceplant, Twiter’s 4Idiots, Abc, CBS, NBC,NPR, NYT, WAPO. ETC, you’ll likely be in good company with your American Hating Commie/Nazi type Trash.
Now is the time to take 2 steps back from pure evil I believe.
Sorry if you thought friendly fire.
I’ve been busy, I hope you are to.
At a presser Jake Sullivan ” repeated one of Biden’s whoppers by claiming the administration “planned for all contingencies.” ”
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So one of Biden’s plans was to abandon thousands of Americans and Europeans in Afghanistan hostage to Taliban savages?
Well, at least Citizen Biden and Private Milley are on top of the pronouns problem.
Jonathan: Looks like your last blog on the right of anti-vacs to go to public places without being vaccinated was just deleted from my laptop-maybe due to the Res Ipsa cyber attack. So I will comment here on that column. It is bizarre you could still argue that non-vacs have a right to fly, go to movies and to restaurants because of a right that, as you say, exists in the “space created by the indulgence of a free people”. During this raging pandemic I would argue public health and safety trumps the right of un-vacs to expose others to Covid and now the Delta variant. I thought the issue had been settled by Justice Amy Comey Barrett in refusing to block Indiana University’s vaccine mandate for all faculty, staff and students. You say the current pandemic restrictions have no “rational basis”. Barrett didn’t issue a written opinion but I would imagine she relied on the “rational basis” test to uphold the vaccine mandate at IU that was based on the science and CDC guidelines. Funny, but you have not commented on Barrett’s decision–probably because it runs counter to your spurious reasoning.
As part of the anit-vac crowd you are in good company with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. He is fighting with local officials over mask and vaccine mandates. He’s even gone to court to prevent them. Now, even though fully vaccinated, Abbott has just announced he too has been infected. Fortunately, he is being treated with the Regeneron monoclonal anti-body therapy –the same one Trump received. Abbott became infected after attending a GOP event where he and most attendees did not wear masks. For Abbott politics has always trumped public health.
Speaking of Regeneron, over in Florida Gov. DeSantis is running around the state promoting Regeneron as a treatment for the coronavirus. This would seem counter-intuitive because getting everyone vaccinated is better than waiting to become infected and then having to go through Regeneron therapy. The economics don’t make sense either. It costs the government $1,000 for a dose of Regeneron vs $25 for the vaccine. DeSantis may have another reason for promoting Regeneron. The governor’s top political donor is billionaire Ken Griffin, the CEO of Citadel– a hedge fund, that has invested $15.9 million in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Griffin has donated $10,75 million to the governor’s PAC. So there is a method to the governor’s madness. By promoting the Regeneron therapy he increases the value of Griffin’s investment–and the likelihood of more political donations. Makes perfect sense. Griffin has contributed money to a lot of conservative politicians and is now building a huge oceanfront mansion nearby Mar-a-Lago. Birds of a feature since Trump is also a big DeSantis supporter. So once again for DeSantis, who would like to run for president in 2024, his political future is dependent on people like Griffin. Forget public health.
As an apparent practicing Catholic you no doubt just saw the message from Pope Francis to Americans urging us to all get vaccinated as an “act of love”. Pope said: “Vaccination is a simple but profound way of promoting the common good and caring for each other..”. Kind of an ironic position for the Church to take because the Covid vaccines were developed based on research that used cells derived from aborted fetuses. Maybe you can explain that contradiction. Anyway, instead of complaining about how pandemic restrictions and vaccine mandates are infringing on individual rights you should follow the Pope’s admonition and urge all your millions of followers to get vaccinated. Now that would truly be an “act of love”.
+1
“…public health and safety trumps the right of un-vacs…”
Ah, again, the “public health” argument for tyranny. What actions of other individuals can’t be restricted based upon some (nebulous) connection to public health? Outlaw fast food and ice cream? Mandate exercise? Prohibit skydiving or any other sport? Ban or require almost any other product or activity?
Whether sinister or ignorant, those advocating imposition of their wills on others in the name of “public health” betray the principles of classical liberalism and seek to regress society back to the Dark Ages, where the “commoners” were expected to submit to the ruling class.
What a misnomer “Progressive” is!
“. . . the right of un-vacs to expose others to Covid and now the Delta variant.”
Apparently, you haven’t heard: The vaccinated can contract Covid and can infect others. So what, now — usurp the rights of everyone?
“As part of the anit-vac crowd you are in good company with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.”
The man who is fully vaccinated is anti-vaccination?
Your comments make the Mad Hatter look sensical.
Sam:
“Apparently, you haven’t heard: The vaccinated can contract Covid and can infect others. So what, now — usurp the rights of everyone?
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So what were the vaccinations for then? And if they aren’t efficacious why take them in the first place?
So don’t be so smug. You’re the one with the logic problem not the wait-and-see vaccinators. Their reluctance in the face on concerns over efficacy and safety (it’s still unapproved by the FDA) are entirely defensible and a matter of conscience.
Your assertion that I have some legal obligation to protect others from unknowing transmission of any disease is based on your usual make-believe thought pattern.
“You’re the one with . . .”
Is that “you” me or the Mad Hatter (aka “DM”)? If me, then I think you misunderstood my comment.
Sam,
I guess you/others haven’t keep up with big phama’s latest mRNA Vaccine Genocide program.
As leading Docs/Scientist in the field are saying/showing that many of the people taking the mRNA jab, it the kills off many of their killer T cells/white blood cells in the 1st shot & even more on the 2nd shot.
Now their natural immune system is said never to work right again.
Also if they don’t die right out the gate, their bodies, some more, some less, now have become mRNA bio-weapon mfg’ing plants building , Shedding Spike Virus proteins that infect others.
The mRNA Jabs are said by the experts to be the largest spreader of these variants viruses.
When I see those lawyers working on the Nuremberg 2 case against these mRNA Jabs aholes I’ll be posting it here.